Iranian defense official says Israel must be destroyed. According to Ynet News, an Iranian defense official said that there is no other way but to destroy Israel, ahead of this week's "Jerusalem Day." Gho-lam Re-za Ja-la-li, who heads an Iranian military unit in charge of fighting sabotage, said that Jerusalem Day, which will be marked by Shiites around the world on Friday, "is an expression of the fact that there is no other way but to stand firm and resist until Israel is destroyed."

World stocks retreat on gloomy economic outlook. According to The Associated Press, world stocks fell this week as recession among euro nations and slowing growth in China offset flickers of improvement in the U.S. economy. But showing stagnant inventories among U.S. companies, a sign that businesses remain wary of the future, tempered optimism. Concerns about China and Europe, where five nations are in recession, also gave cause for concern.

As drought continues, the Mississippi River is drying up. According to CNN, the worst drought in more than 50 years is having a devastating impact on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi has become very thin and narrow, and if it keeps on dropping there is the possibility that all river traffic could get shut down...